Gamecocks Back At Home To Host No. 5 Virginia Wednesday

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina is set to play its first home game this month on Wednesday when it hosts No. 5/3 Virginia at Colonial Life Arena.  The matchup between the former ACC foes will tip at 7 p.m. ET and be broadcast on the SEC Network with Tom Hart (play-by-play) and Jon Sundvold (analyst) on the call. 

STARTING FIVE
> South Carolina is back in action on Wednesday following a 10-day break for final exams on campus in Columbia.  The Gamecocks look to break a two-game losing streak, with both of those losses coming on the road.
> Carolina is set to face it’s second-consecutive top-five opponent when Virginia visits Colonial Life Arena on Wednesday.  The meeting between the former ACC foes will be the first since a 74-67 Gamecock win in Charlottesvile on Marh 13, 2002, in the Postseason NIT.
> Last time out, senior forward Chris Silva was dominant in an 18-point, 12-rebound performance at No. 5/5 Michigan.  Silva was 7-of-13 from the field, including a 3-pointer, to go along with two assists and a block.  It was his third double-double of the season.  Over the course of the last three games (Coastal Carolina, at Wyoming and Michigan), Silva is averaging 12.7 points and a team best 8.3 rebounds per contest.
> Part of South Carolina’s success on the offensive end of the court this season has come from the balanced attack.  At Michigan, every Gamecock that saw court time connected on a made basket, with all 10 players in action contributing to the 78-point total.  
> Senior guard Hassani Gravett has flourished in his role off the ball this season, as he paces the Gamecocks from beyond the arc, hitting 47.2 percent (17-36) from range.  Gravett was 3-of-3 from beyond the arc at Michigan, and has hit seven of his last 11 attempts (63.6%) over the course of the last three games.

THROUGH THE FIRST NINE GAMES…
> Carolina is yet to win consecutive games, having traded wins and losses through the first seven games of the season, before most recently suffering back-to-back losses on the road … Rookie guard A.J. Lawson has hit double-figures in seven of Carolina’s nine games and paces the team with 14.3 points per game … Senior forward Chris Silva is fresh off his third double-double of the season (18th career) and is also providing double digits at 11.1 points per game, while his 6.7 rebounds are a team high … Eight different Gamecocks are scoring at least six points per game, and nine average 18 minutes per game or more … In wins this season, the Gamecocks hold a +9.5 margin on the glass, but in losses, opponents are +4.8.

NUMBERS TO KNOW
3-of-3 – Senior guard Hassani Gravett hit all three of his 3-point attempts in the Dec. 8 matchup at Michigan.  On the year, he is averaging 47.2 percent (17-of-36) from beyond the arc, which is among SEC leaders.
13 – Rookie forward Keyshawn Bryant scored all 13 of his points against the Wolverines in the second half, including a top-play contending dunk.  Bryant is averaging 8.6 points and 3.7 rebounds per game entering Wednesday’s matchup against the Cavaliers.
78 – Carolina’s 78 points scored at Michigan marked the most by a Wolverine opponent this season.
20 – Maik Kotsar (7), Chris Silva (7) and Keyshawn Bryant (6) combined for 20 of Carolina’s 32 made baskets at Michigan on Dec. 8.
20+ – Eight different Gamecocks average at least 20 minutes per game thus far in 2018-19, led by Lawson’s 27.9 minutes per outing.

COMING UP NEXT
Intrastate rival Clemson travels to Columbia later this week for a 2 p.m. afternoon matchup at Colonial Life Arena on Saturday.  The contest will be broadcast on ESPN2 with Mike Morgan (pxp) and Chris Spatola (analyst) on the call.  Carolina looks for its first win against Clemson since December 2015.

SCOUTING THE GAMECOCKS
> The Gamecocks are finally back in the friendly confines of Colonial Life Arena, set to play their first game on their home court this month on Wednesday vs. Virginia.
> Carolina will host a pair of ACC opponents this week in Virginia and then Clemson on Saturday.
> Carolina looks to shake a two-game losing streak on Wednesday, having suffered road losses at Wyoming (Dec. 5) and at No. 5/5 Michigan (Dec. 8) during a lengthy two-game road swing.
> In home games this season, Carolina is averaging 41.4 percent from the field, however, opponents aren’t far behind at 40.1 percent.
> Also in home games, Lawson is averaging 15.0 points per game, while Gravett adds 12.8 per contest.  Gravett has been Carolina’s most consistent 3-point shooter at home as well, hitting 52.2 percent of his attempts.
> South Carolina returns seven letterwinners from last season’s 17-16 squad, including senior guard Hassani Gravett and senior forward Chris Silva.
> Carolina welcomes eight newcomers to its roster this season, including a pair of transfers and six freshmen student-athletes.  Jair Bolden (transfer/George Washington/guard), graduate transfer Tre Campbell (transfer/Georgetown/guard), Keyshawn Bryant (freshman/guard), Jermaine Couisnard (freshman/guard), Alanzo Frink (freshman/forward), A.J. Lawson (freshman/guard), T.J. Moss (freshman/guard) and Nathan Nelson (freshman/forward) join the Garnet and Black this fall.

SCOUTING THE CAVALIERS
> Virginia is ranked No. 5 in this week’s AP poll and third in the coaches poll.
> UVA is led by head coach Tony Bennett in his 10th season in Charlottesville.  
> The Cavaliers have played just one away game this season, posting a 76-71 win at Maryland on Nov. 28.
> Three are in double-figures on the year for UVA, led by De’Andre Hunter’s 15.6 points per game.  Ty Jerome (13.7) and Kyle Guy (13.4) are also in double figures.  The trio has combined for 54 of UVA’s 75 made 3-point baskets this season.  
> Hunter has hit double-figures in every game this season with the exception of scoring nine in his most recent outing vs. VCU.  He earned Battle 4 Atlantis MVP honors and ACC Player of the Week accolades after averaging 19.3 points and 7.7 rebounds in the  tournament.
> Other notable UVA wins this season include matchups against Dayton, Wisconsin and VCU.
> Junior guard Braxton Key is a transfer from Alabama.  He has five starts on the year and is averaging 6.0 points per game.
> Virginia is ranked second nationally this season, committing just 8.3 turnovers per contest, while UVA leads the nation with a 1.81 assist to turnover ratio.  The Cavaliers are also second in the nation in holding opponents to just 51.2 points per game and UVA hold’s a +21.6 scoring margin entering Wednesday’s contest.